Van Dijk hits out at Dutch press

Virgil van Dijk, the captain of the Netherlands national team, responded to the criticism he faced in the Dutch media during a press conference he held on Wednesday, after being called up to the national team under the new coach Xavi.

Virgil van Dijk has expressed that some media reports deliberately painted a negative picture of him following the Netherlands' exit from the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup, stating: "A lot of nonsense has been published to portray me as if I am everyone's worst enemy."

The captain of the Netherlands national team, who has 96 international matches, stated that he followed what was written and said about him in the past period, but he rejected the way some matters were addressed, affirming that what was published about him did not reflect the reality of what happened within the national team.

Virgil van Dijk appears in Xavi's first squad with the Netherlands, at a time when the new coach's lineup has seen some changes, most notably the exclusion of Memphis Depay, while Liverpool's captain continues to be part of his plans.